Chapter 8

  These days, Li Hui found that Wang Zhiqiao was always melancholy, and she didn't even pay attention to the lectures in class. Although she usually didn't listen much, at least she would pretend to listen for a while, but now she wouldn't even look at the teacher, just staring out of the window, sighing constantly. Li Hui felt like taping her mouth shut with adhesive tape. What could be so serious at such a young age? She had an air of being world-weary, and Li Hui wanted to ask her what was wrong, but thinking about how she would ignore him made him angry. He hadn't treated her badly, yet she wouldn't speak to him, making him wonder sometimes if he had become a bad person.

  Actually, Wang Zijiao's abnormal behavior is because she saw a news report at home last night about a 25-year-old woman who suffered from a psychological disorder. She had an instinctive aversion to men and would go back home to wash her body multiple times with soap whenever a man accidentally touched her. If a man liked her, she would avoid him altogether. Once, when a suitor came to her doorstep, she immediately closed the door, and it was only then that her mother discovered her daughter's abnormal behavior. They sought help from an expert, who diagnosed the woman with a psychological disorder and recommended that she see a doctor for treatment as soon as possible, otherwise, she would have difficulty adapting to interactions with men in the future.

  Wang Zhiqiao was suddenly shocked, she seemed to have seen her future self. She never wanted to talk to boys, let alone physical contact. In recent years, she had hardly communicated with strangers, locking herself in her own world, not wanting to interact with the outside world, not wanting to talk to others. She would never truly believe others. Her emotions were frozen, not feeling whether people were good or bad to her, not expecting to receive anything, nor wanting to give anything to others. She thought that as long as she was in her own world, she wouldn't be hurt by others, and wouldn't leave scars on herself. She had closed off her emotions, never thinking of accepting even a little bit of contact from others.

  Even if she didn't want to admit it, Wang Zhiqiao realized that there was a problem with her mind. Moreover, she didn't want to continue like this, and she had to learn how to interact normally with the people around her, especially boys. However, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't go see a psychologist, and she didn't want anyone to know about her mental illness, feeling that others would look at her as if she were crazy. Even though she lived in her own world, she had never thought of isolating herself from the entire society.

  "Zhiqiao, what's wrong with you lately? Seeing your gloomy face, I can tell you have something on your mind." Yang Rui rushed to Wang Zhiqiao's seat as soon as the class was over. She had been observing her for a whole lesson and knew that her good friend was usually melancholic, but her current state was too unusual.

  "I don't want to tell Yang Rui, not at all. I don't want her to look at me with a different gaze or a pitiful gaze," "Nothing, just been feeling tired lately and didn't feel like attending class."

  "It's better if nothing is wrong, and you can tell me anything." Yang Rui knew that Wang Zhiqiao had no intention of telling him now. She knew she always had her own concerns, and he wouldn't ask since she didn't say anything. There would be a day when she would tell him, it's just not the right time yet.

  "What's your usual way of interacting with boys?" Wang Zhiqiao was very curious, how girls usually talk to boys, Yang Rui usually gets along well with boys, and she was also attracted by this point, so she didn't have much rejection towards making friends with her, she was like a happy fruit, seeing her being playful would make herself feel more cheerful.

  "Haha, what's this question?" She thought she was going to ask something serious, and it's laughable. "It's very simple, just meeting and talking, making a joke, hmm...I also can't explain clearly, anyway it's very simple. However, for you, it's indeed a bit difficult." Thinking of Wang Zijiao who usually doesn't interact with boys and rarely interacts with girls, she is simply a rare flower in the new century.

  "You should start by learning from the boys in front of you. Learn to talk to them, and try to talk to them as much as possible." Yang Rui began to offer advice.

  "But I'm not familiar with them either." Wang Zhiqiao was somewhat embarrassed.

  "It's precisely because of this that I let you interact with them more. Are you kidding me?" Yang Rui looked at his good friend with some helplessness.

  "But......" Wang Zhiqiao felt a sense of fear before he could even finish speaking.

  "Come on, big sister, don't you want to talk to the boy anymore?" Yang Rui pressed down on Wang Zhiqiao's shoulder to calm her down.

  "But why, suddenly you want to talk to boys? You don't seem like yourself, girl. Come tell Grandpa, what's gotten into you?" Yang Rui teased, hooking his finger under Wang Zhiqiao's chin.

  "I want to try talking to them, I can't not talk to them for the rest of my life."

  "You go for it."

  "Mm."